William0d0
Active member
Governor Moonbeam needs to pay off his union pals.
Pointless railway lines?
- Thread starter rjhowie
- Start date
Governor Moonbeam needs to pay off his union pals.
Very interesting, Bobby. Does any of the line exist today? This route today would be very appropriate as a commuter line or even a modern day tram route.
John
I think most countries would probably have quite a few lines that were built more with blue-sky optimism on expected traffic rather than realistic expectations. One such line was the first government railway here in Western Australia - the Geraldton to Northampton line, known at the time of it's opening as the 'Northern Railway'.
Originally planned to service copper and lead mines in the Northampton area, the line wasn't even completed before world prices for copper and lead plummeted, resulting in the mines closing, and hence the planned mineral traffic which was supposed to fund the line's construction, never eventuated. Hence it was a finanical disaster for the still young colony of Western Australia, which struggled to repay the loans taken out to fund it.
Additionally, the two double-Fairlie locomotives (later classified the WAGR 'E' class), that had been ordered for that traffic proved to be mechanically problematic, with two small Kitson-built 2-6-0s taking over what traffic there was. Accordingly, when the line eventually opened in 1879, it struggled for many years as little more than a quaint rural line serving local farms. Eventually, Geraldton was connected to the rest of the fledgling WAGR state network, and the Northampton line was extended to the even more remote outpost of Ajana, but it remained isolated for a number of years.
Although much of the line was closed and lifted many years ago, the final short section from Geraldton to Bluff Point (the junction for the main line to Perth and other locations) survived until 2005 when a new direct rail line to Geraldton Port was opened, bypassing the old section entirely. Nowadays there isn't much left, other than rough formations.
Another West Australian government line that was even more of a 'railway to nowhere' (the perennially cash-strapped WAGR made something of a tradition of under-trafficked railway construction) was the short-lived Lake Clifton branch, that junctioned from the South-West Mainline to Bunbury near Waronna around 1910. The branch line lasted not even a year before it was decided the limestone traffic that it was to serve would not eventuate.
Hence, with literally no reason to exist, the brand new line was literally dismantled almost as soon as it was completed, and the rails reused elsewhere, as iron at the time had to be imported by sea from England, making it very expensive. As far as I'm aware, no trace exists of this short-loved line to this day, and most people wouldn't even know it had even existed.
Originally planned to service copper and lead mines in the Northampton area, the line wasn't even completed before world prices for copper and lead plummeted, resulting in the mines closing, and hence the planned mineral traffic which was supposed to fund the line's construction, never eventuated. Hence it was a finanical disaster for the still young colony of Western Australia, which struggled to repay the loans taken out to fund it.
Additionally, the two double-Fairlie locomotives (later classified the WAGR 'E' class), that had been ordered for that traffic proved to be mechanically problematic, with two small Kitson-built 2-6-0s taking over what traffic there was. Accordingly, when the line eventually opened in 1879, it struggled for many years as little more than a quaint rural line serving local farms. Eventually, Geraldton was connected to the rest of the fledgling WAGR state network, and the Northampton line was extended to the even more remote outpost of Ajana, but it remained isolated for a number of years.
Although much of the line was closed and lifted many years ago, the final short section from Geraldton to Bluff Point (the junction for the main line to Perth and other locations) survived until 2005 when a new direct rail line to Geraldton Port was opened, bypassing the old section entirely. Nowadays there isn't much left, other than rough formations.
Another West Australian government line that was even more of a 'railway to nowhere' (the perennially cash-strapped WAGR made something of a tradition of under-trafficked railway construction) was the short-lived Lake Clifton branch, that junctioned from the South-West Mainline to Bunbury near Waronna around 1910. The branch line lasted not even a year before it was decided the limestone traffic that it was to serve would not eventuate.
Hence, with literally no reason to exist, the brand new line was literally dismantled almost as soon as it was completed, and the rails reused elsewhere, as iron at the time had to be imported by sea from England, making it very expensive. As far as I'm aware, no trace exists of this short-loved line to this day, and most people wouldn't even know it had even existed.
Hi John,
I was fascinated by it as a boy. It ran mostly on an earth embankment with isalnd platfor stations. There were a couple of branches off it on the west side of the city. Anderston Cross was a junction station below the street level. Today the embankment is now a walkway and cycle path and duue to a new access road a short part has been bulldozed away altogether. Funnily a decade ago there was a suggestion of a tramway along it as far as the lower end of Clydebank but cam to nothing just like the projected "Strathclyde Tram". That would have seen several tram lines borught back including one running on one of the tunnels of that abandoned sytem. Fortunately the rest of the Glasgow Suburban netowrk is intact and electric as well as doing well. With embanlments and tunnels would be a fascinating Trainz build!
Originally that main trunk route along the north bank of the Clyde was also to serve passnegers working in the shipyards and other industrial firms along the way. Sadly it was not to do well for very long and the Caledonian Rly along with the North British fought the then Glasgow Corporation over electric trams. These were to take away the bulk of potential passengers and only a block away from the railway. I was lucky to travel on the Whiteinch run and one of the branches via Broomhill to Maryhill.
Bobby
I was fascinated by it as a boy. It ran mostly on an earth embankment with isalnd platfor stations. There were a couple of branches off it on the west side of the city. Anderston Cross was a junction station below the street level. Today the embankment is now a walkway and cycle path and duue to a new access road a short part has been bulldozed away altogether. Funnily a decade ago there was a suggestion of a tramway along it as far as the lower end of Clydebank but cam to nothing just like the projected "Strathclyde Tram". That would have seen several tram lines borught back including one running on one of the tunnels of that abandoned sytem. Fortunately the rest of the Glasgow Suburban netowrk is intact and electric as well as doing well. With embanlments and tunnels would be a fascinating Trainz build!
Originally that main trunk route along the north bank of the Clyde was also to serve passnegers working in the shipyards and other industrial firms along the way. Sadly it was not to do well for very long and the Caledonian Rly along with the North British fought the then Glasgow Corporation over electric trams. These were to take away the bulk of potential passengers and only a block away from the railway. I was lucky to travel on the Whiteinch run and one of the branches via Broomhill to Maryhill.
Bobby
Bob, is this the route you're referring to?
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Lanarkshire%20and%20Dumbartonshire%20Railway
http://www.railbrit.co.uk/location.php?loc=Lanarkshire%20and%20Dumbartonshire%20Railway
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Yes Vern,
Know of these pics but nice to see them again! As said, travelled on the Clydeside route and one of the two branches inside the city - the one from Partick West Station triangular junction Junction as far as Crow Road on the way to Maryhill Central. Wish I had travelled on the other from Anderston Junction via Kelvinbridge and the lovely station at Botanic |Gardens which joined that after Kirklee then to Maryhill. Can also remember the Summerston Station and that area now covered by a large housing estate.
Not long before closure I went up the stairs to Whitiench (Riverside) and chapped the wooden booking office window and a porter answered. I asked for a single ticket to Scotstoun (East). He looked surpringly at me as the station I knew, had hardly any passnegers and you could actually see the island platform of Scotstoun (East)! He answered and said that no-one ever gets on here to go there and said I could walk it in minutes and the train couldn't pick up speed anyway the stations were too close. I insisted however and knew a train was due. It came and I boarded then got off and the porter there came out to see if anyone got off and take the tickets. There was only me and the train empty but for half a dozen. When he found I had just got on withiin a short walking distance he was gob-smacked. "No-one has ever got on at Whiteinchand got off here!"
Wistful to think that Whiteinch once had 2 stations, Scotstoun (actually 3 in this case and one still active) and Yoker the same with one each on 2 different lines. When I travelled on the day of closure of the Maryhill (Central) Line it was of course in the days of the wee cardboard tickets. I got a white return 1st Class to Crow Road which is in the house somewhere! A bit later I found out that Charing Cross Station still had a Cycle ticket issued by the old Scottish Pre-Grouping Company the North British which put it before 1922 of course(!). Although we still have a reasonable suburban system just think what it would be like if these old routes of the former Caledonian (later LMS) were still extant??
In more recent times, I had a chat with the booking clerk at Anniesland Station when they re-opened the track to Maryhill. He was going on about the "new line" but I had to remind him that it was in fact a re-instatement of a line that used to be there and was double -tracked unlike the present short singled connection. He hadn't been aware of that.
That near river bank route as the alternative to Dumbarton always fascinated me with it's use of island platforms and the Victorian structures. Some were entered from street level under a rail bridge and others downstairs. The tunnel to Kelvinbridge can still be seen on one of the 2 western suburban eltric lines (one from Queen St Low Level and Chairing Cross as you come out the tunnel to an embankment. You can see the opening of the other disused tunnel on the right.
Know of these pics but nice to see them again! As said, travelled on the Clydeside route and one of the two branches inside the city - the one from Partick West Station triangular junction Junction as far as Crow Road on the way to Maryhill Central. Wish I had travelled on the other from Anderston Junction via Kelvinbridge and the lovely station at Botanic |Gardens which joined that after Kirklee then to Maryhill. Can also remember the Summerston Station and that area now covered by a large housing estate.
Not long before closure I went up the stairs to Whitiench (Riverside) and chapped the wooden booking office window and a porter answered. I asked for a single ticket to Scotstoun (East). He looked surpringly at me as the station I knew, had hardly any passnegers and you could actually see the island platform of Scotstoun (East)! He answered and said that no-one ever gets on here to go there and said I could walk it in minutes and the train couldn't pick up speed anyway the stations were too close. I insisted however and knew a train was due. It came and I boarded then got off and the porter there came out to see if anyone got off and take the tickets. There was only me and the train empty but for half a dozen. When he found I had just got on withiin a short walking distance he was gob-smacked. "No-one has ever got on at Whiteinchand got off here!"
Wistful to think that Whiteinch once had 2 stations, Scotstoun (actually 3 in this case and one still active) and Yoker the same with one each on 2 different lines. When I travelled on the day of closure of the Maryhill (Central) Line it was of course in the days of the wee cardboard tickets. I got a white return 1st Class to Crow Road which is in the house somewhere! A bit later I found out that Charing Cross Station still had a Cycle ticket issued by the old Scottish Pre-Grouping Company the North British which put it before 1922 of course(!). Although we still have a reasonable suburban system just think what it would be like if these old routes of the former Caledonian (later LMS) were still extant??
In more recent times, I had a chat with the booking clerk at Anniesland Station when they re-opened the track to Maryhill. He was going on about the "new line" but I had to remind him that it was in fact a re-instatement of a line that used to be there and was double -tracked unlike the present short singled connection. He hadn't been aware of that.
That near river bank route as the alternative to Dumbarton always fascinated me with it's use of island platforms and the Victorian structures. Some were entered from street level under a rail bridge and others downstairs. The tunnel to Kelvinbridge can still be seen on one of the 2 western suburban eltric lines (one from Queen St Low Level and Chairing Cross as you come out the tunnel to an embankment. You can see the opening of the other disused tunnel on the right.
At least you had the opportunity to ride on the line while it was still operational. This is a memory worth holding on to! I can see why the line faulterd with the lack of revenue (passengers) which headed over to the nearby trams and trains. I still think that with the amount of people and traffic, this line would have been useful.
Boston had the "Narrow Gauge", also known as the Boston, Revere Beach, and Lynn, which competed heavily with the nearby BERY trolleys to Revere and Lynn. They were a unique line, having started as a steam road with tiny little Mason Bogey engines and heavyweight wooden cars. Later on General Electric, who has a big manufacturing facility in Lynn, worked with the company and electrified the route. They took the old heavyweight passenger cars and put trolley poles and pantographs on them, and replaced the trucks with driver motors. Even still with this additional power, they could not compete with the nearby lines. They lasted about 60 years before going out of business, and were scrapped just before WWII.
If they had survived, they would have become the complete Blue Line electric MBTA line. Starting around 1952, the Blue Line was built on the same ROW and only goes as far as Wonderland. The old ROW beyond Wonderland is still visible but sadly someone built condos across it near the traffic circle. I suppose a short tunnel could be built under the buildings and under the traffic circle so the line can be reconnected. There have been some proposals on this, so I'm not too far fetched. The topic comes up periodically when some official gets stuck in traffic, I think!
John
The (Glasgow) route would certainly be a challenging one to build, probably best undertaken by someone with a knack for doing urban scenery and the tunnel sections will be tricky with the known limitations in Trainz. The other decision would be what locations to build it between, presumably Dumbarton in the west but harder to see a logical turnback point on the eastern side.
Yes it would be a tricky one to do although the embankment bits would be fairly okay. I think that from the east side of the city perhaps as the shuttle betwen Kilbowie (in Clyebank) and Carmyle was the end game in trying to keep the main line open. That would be a resonable destination. It would be challenging as at Partick West triagular Junction where the embankment line crossed a bridge over Dumbarton Rd into a tunnel on it's way undergound to Maryhill via Kirklee. Howvere prior to that the junction at Anderston Cross in the tunnel would be another challenege on the other way to join the Kirklee one on the way to Maryhill. The East would be generally reasonable but the West would be a frustrating bit although once beyond the city getting to Dumbarton on this secondary route would be okay.
You are so right John that I was fortunate to ride on the main bit and one of the branches off it. You can still see where Kevinbridge Station once was as the foundations of the two platforms there can be seen from the nearly Gt Western Road bridge over the River Kelvin. Immediately on the other side of the river is the entrance to Kelvinbridge Subway Station. The old rail tunnel is obvious although closed with a wooden fixture/gate. I am sure that in more dangerous times using it as a shelter in the case of an Atomic War was considered? Most folk nowaqdays don't know the series of tunnels in the west and northwest are there.
Where Kelvinbridge Station was is a neat Victorian building next the road bridge now with flats and shops. However it was built as an Extension hotel by the Caledonian Rly Coy.The idea was that if the big Central Hotel part of the city's Central Station was fully booked you could be give a free ticket (1st or 2nd class!) to Kelvinbridge and stay there! Have often wondered if those that own flats or shops there realise that one? On a morte personal note. The man who founded my Boys' Brigade Company in 1887 and a well known city businessman and such as well as a magistrate, committed sucide at Kelvinbridge by jumping in front of a train there.
For many years one of the tunnel routes off the main was kept intact just in case track was ever returned - the one via Kirklee. However a shopping centre was buit on the former site of Maryhill Central dashing that one. As that went the track bed at Crow Rd Station between 2 tunnels was filled in and rather posh flats built on it at street level. Any time I pass there I sigh that I once went 1st Classs from Central Stn that short ride to Crow Road.
You are so right John that I was fortunate to ride on the main bit and one of the branches off it. You can still see where Kevinbridge Station once was as the foundations of the two platforms there can be seen from the nearly Gt Western Road bridge over the River Kelvin. Immediately on the other side of the river is the entrance to Kelvinbridge Subway Station. The old rail tunnel is obvious although closed with a wooden fixture/gate. I am sure that in more dangerous times using it as a shelter in the case of an Atomic War was considered? Most folk nowaqdays don't know the series of tunnels in the west and northwest are there.
Where Kelvinbridge Station was is a neat Victorian building next the road bridge now with flats and shops. However it was built as an Extension hotel by the Caledonian Rly Coy.The idea was that if the big Central Hotel part of the city's Central Station was fully booked you could be give a free ticket (1st or 2nd class!) to Kelvinbridge and stay there! Have often wondered if those that own flats or shops there realise that one? On a morte personal note. The man who founded my Boys' Brigade Company in 1887 and a well known city businessman and such as well as a magistrate, committed sucide at Kelvinbridge by jumping in front of a train there.
For many years one of the tunnel routes off the main was kept intact just in case track was ever returned - the one via Kirklee. However a shopping centre was buit on the former site of Maryhill Central dashing that one. As that went the track bed at Crow Rd Station between 2 tunnels was filled in and rather posh flats built on it at street level. Any time I pass there I sigh that I once went 1st Classs from Central Stn that short ride to Crow Road.
You would probably be best doing the junction tunnel sections as cut and cover, i.e. with a ground plane over the top rather than digholing or trying to make it fit to standard Auran tunnels. Some of the Westwood components or those from the Nottingham route on the DLS might help.
Maybe one to look at when I've got the Russian ng bug out of my system!
Maybe one to look at when I've got the Russian ng bug out of my system!
Now here is a Bobby-Dazzler of a railway that was pointless. I came across references to it whilst on my present build of Northern Ireland Rlys on Trainz.
On the Belfast-Londonderry route there was a branch opened up from Magilligan Station to Magilligan Point a few miles away. Firstly there was real oddity. The main line is the standard Irish gauge of five feet three inches but this Brnach to the nearby Point on the coast was to the British mainland four foot eight odd! The line opened around June 1855 but closed in October the same year then lifted! Kind of daft and pointless.
On the Belfast-Londonderry route there was a branch opened up from Magilligan Station to Magilligan Point a few miles away. Firstly there was real oddity. The main line is the standard Irish gauge of five feet three inches but this Brnach to the nearby Point on the coast was to the British mainland four foot eight odd! The line opened around June 1855 but closed in October the same year then lifted! Kind of daft and pointless.
